WEBVTT Kind: captions; Language: en 00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:42.000 [...] 00:01:01.001 --> 00:01:06.001 A vacation on a farm. Have you ever thought of this? To get away from the big 00:01:06.001 --> 00:01:13.000 crowds, to relax and play without pressure, to drift down a quiet stream, 00:01:13.001 --> 00:01:17.000 to recharge your spirit and body with the peace of the open country, 00:01:19.001 --> 00:01:23.000 to relive the land of your child. 00:01:32.000 --> 00:01:34.000 Rural recreation. 00:01:35.001 --> 00:01:39.001 The U.S. Department of Agriculture recognizes it as a modern farming enterprise 00:01:39.001 --> 00:01:45.000 and offers individual landowners and community groups technical and financial 00:01:45.000 --> 00:01:49.001 assistance and credit to develop facilities for outdoor recreation. 00:01:50.001 --> 00:01:56.000 For a farmer, it can be a full-scale business or a sight line. But to be 00:01:56.000 --> 00:02:00.001 profitable to him and of greatest enjoyment for the vacation, it must be planned 00:02:00.001 --> 00:02:03.000 just like any other kind of land use. 00:02:04.001 --> 00:02:09.001 One important factor is the soil. A soil survey will help determine the best 00:02:09.001 --> 00:02:11.001 recreational use of any piece of land. 00:02:15.001 --> 00:02:20.001 Here is a farm devoted to camping. Soil survey is used to locate campsites, 00:02:21.000 --> 00:02:26.001 septic tanks, and play areas. A 00:02:26.001 --> 00:02:28.000 small farm pond for swimming. 00:02:34.000 --> 00:02:39.000 Or a larger community watershed lake can be built only where the soil and 00:02:39.000 --> 00:02:41.000 drainage conditions are right. 00:02:50.000 --> 00:02:55.001 A detailed map of the soils of the farm is prepared. This helps the farmer 00:02:55.001 --> 00:03:00.001 develop a final map of the proposed land use. A plan for recreation. 00:03:06.000 --> 00:03:12.001 Then one day, there's a new golf course where potatoes once grew. 00:03:37.001 --> 00:03:42.001 A landowner can offer the public many forms of recreation. His choice will depend 00:03:42.001 --> 00:03:48.000 first on his own interests. Then on how far his farm is from the city and what 00:03:48.000 --> 00:03:50.000 kind of land he has to work with. 00:03:50.000 --> 00:03:55.000 Ed Noller of New Jersey grows potatoes for the metropolitan market. These are 00:03:55.000 --> 00:04:01.001 high quality potatoes and he is proud of them. But he also has a farm farm that 00:04:01.001 --> 00:04:05.001 he originally built to provide irrigation water for his crops. Now it is a 00:04:05.001 --> 00:04:08.001 community swimming lake and picnic area with caballons. 00:04:11.000 --> 00:04:13.001 Noller tends the snack bar after work. 00:04:18.001 --> 00:04:21.000 Here the little ones ride the swings. 00:04:26.000 --> 00:04:30.001 And the older ones play touch football. 00:04:37.000 --> 00:04:40.000 Recreation brings an additional source of income to Noller. 00:04:47.000 --> 00:04:52.001 Vacation farms and dude ranches are typically a summertime operation. Those who 00:04:52.001 --> 00:04:56.001 offer this kind of rural recreation must be able to provide sleeping 00:04:56.001 --> 00:05:00.001 accommodations and meals along with a full program of entertainment. 00:05:01.000 --> 00:05:07.001 Cold water come from the well helps wake in the sleepy guests for a family style 00:05:07.001 --> 00:05:12.001 breakfast at this vacation farm in West Virginia. I'll leave it to the young 00:05:12.001 --> 00:05:14.001 folks to put away the food. 00:05:25.000 --> 00:05:28.000 Fishing is popular with the youngsters. Bass and 00:05:28.000 --> 00:05:30.000 bluegill in the pond by the farm. 00:05:40.000 --> 00:05:43.001 Or fighting a trout with a spinning outfit at the cold water lake on the hill. 00:05:56.000 --> 00:06:01.001 Women guests have other benefits. Imagine picking garden fresh vegetables for the 00:06:01.001 --> 00:06:07.001 dinner table. Or relax 00:06:07.001 --> 00:06:09.001 in the water at the swimming pool. 00:06:17.001 --> 00:06:21.000 A pony ride for the children is a highlight of the afternoon. 00:06:24.001 --> 00:06:31.001 While another group learns the 00:06:31.001 --> 00:06:34.000 fine points of horsemanship in the riding ring. 00:06:52.000 --> 00:06:57.001 The landowner can get help through his local soil conservation district. This out 00:06:57.001 --> 00:07:02.000 many of the soil and water problems connected with developing a vacation farm or 00:07:02.000 --> 00:07:05.000 other kinds of farm based recreation enterprises. 00:07:09.000 --> 00:07:14.001 There's a special kind of vacation farm just for children called a day camp. 00:07:15.001 --> 00:07:19.000 Children love the activities. It's part of growing up. 00:07:21.001 --> 00:07:28.000 They learn safety too and take themselves most seriously. 00:07:29.000 --> 00:07:32.001 Now if everyone will paddle together we will have a race. 00:07:32.001 --> 00:07:35.001 Just keep the boats pointed in the right direction. 00:07:39.000 --> 00:07:44.001 The young children want to know everything. Now this pump sucks the water from 00:07:44.001 --> 00:07:50.001 the pond. It goes through the pipe to water the fields. So we can 00:07:50.001 --> 00:07:52.000 grow more grass to feed the cows. 00:07:55.001 --> 00:07:58.001 First she must learn to mount a horse if she's going to ride. 00:08:03.000 --> 00:08:10.000 Then with the junior leader keeping a careful eye on each 00:08:10.000 --> 00:08:14.001 horseman the group rides around the lake and off through the woods. 00:08:19.001 --> 00:08:24.000 At milking time in the late afternoon the older boys show their skill as cow 00:08:24.000 --> 00:08:29.001 hands. You might think the cows really didn't know their way to the barn. The day 00:08:29.001 --> 00:08:32.001 camp is farming with fun, a happy mixture of work 00:08:32.001 --> 00:08:34.001 with the exuberance of childhood. 00:08:36.001 --> 00:08:41.001 And many a junior counselor goes back to college in the fall helped by the money 00:08:41.001 --> 00:08:48.000 earned at day camp. Dams are being built where the Watershed Protection and Flood 00:08:48.000 --> 00:08:53.001 Prevention Act can help communities control costly upstream floods. That is 00:08:53.001 --> 00:08:57.000 through a combination of conservation farming practices and dams 00:08:57.000 --> 00:08:59.000 on the small tributary streams. 00:09:00.000 --> 00:09:05.000 This is where 50% of our average annual flood damages occur. Dams like this are 00:09:05.000 --> 00:09:09.001 built to catch the crest of the runoff and let it out in a controlled flow 00:09:09.001 --> 00:09:11.001 that will not damage the lowlands. 00:09:14.000 --> 00:09:19.000 Water sports so popular today are a byproduct of the lakes created by many of 00:09:19.000 --> 00:09:24.000 these daffos. The Department of Agriculture can provide technical help, cost 00:09:24.000 --> 00:09:28.000 sharing and loans for the recreation facilities as well as for the flood 00:09:28.000 --> 00:09:32.000 prevention and water supply features of the Watershed projects. 00:10:12.000 --> 00:10:16.000 These folks are all for an afternoon's fun in the water. 00:10:25.000 --> 00:10:28.000 A stop at the country store for gas 00:10:28.000 --> 00:10:33.000 and bait 00:10:38.001 --> 00:10:43.000 The cash register jingles and on to the lake. 00:10:51.001 --> 00:10:55.001 Water shed improvements are community improvements for the attraction of the 00:10:55.001 --> 00:11:01.000 lakes. The recreation on the water and around the shore all combine to create new 00:11:01.000 --> 00:11:03.000 sources of income for the community. 00:11:14.001 --> 00:11:19.000 Local sponsoring organizations that manage the watershed lakes often set aside 00:11:19.000 --> 00:11:24.001 areas for picnics, that popular American custom where the watermelon is king 00:11:24.001 --> 00:11:30.000 and everyone eats too much. 00:11:44.001 --> 00:11:50.001 This barn once held a hay for 20 cows. Now it is the store and office for a 00:11:50.001 --> 00:11:52.001 camping farm in New York. 00:11:55.001 --> 00:12:00.000 There's Doc Gordon going out to take care of the customer. Camping is now a full 00:12:00.000 --> 00:12:01.001 time business for the Gordon farm. 00:12:11.000 --> 00:12:16.000 People come for weeks at a time because the camp is fun and convenient 00:12:16.000 --> 00:12:17.001 for other nearby activities. 00:12:22.001 --> 00:12:28.000 Jim Gordon spent a year visiting other farm camps, asking questions and getting 00:12:28.000 --> 00:12:31.001 the facts about costs and returns before starting the 00:12:31.001 --> 00:12:33.000 development of his own campgrounds. 00:12:35.001 --> 00:12:41.000 His property is located near Cornell University, the Finger Lakes and one of the 00:12:41.000 --> 00:12:47.001 state parks. Visitors can set up their tents or trailers and then go sightseeing. 00:12:49.000 --> 00:12:52.001 Camping farms are more successful if there are scenic attractions nearby. 00:12:55.001 --> 00:13:00.000 Many come just for the fun of camping. Outdoor living is a sport in itself. 00:13:05.001 --> 00:13:10.000 Camping farms take the pressure off overcrowded public camps and provide a needed 00:13:10.000 --> 00:13:13.001 place to rest, relax along our highways. 00:13:32.001 --> 00:13:37.000 Here an organized group is enjoying a picnic supper and the Gordons, whose 00:13:37.000 --> 00:13:40.001 campgrounds have made such picnics possible, are the honored guests. 00:13:41.000 --> 00:13:45.000 There are many rewards for the farmer or rancher who likes to work with people. 00:13:45.001 --> 00:13:49.001 The camping farm helps the community buy the additional business it attracts to 00:13:49.001 --> 00:13:51.000 the local stores and gas stations. 00:13:51.001 --> 00:13:55.000 It also offers the traveler a clean and wholesome place to stop. 00:13:59.000 --> 00:14:05.000 A place where the children can stretch their legs. 00:14:16.001 --> 00:14:21.001 Gordon's Farm Farm was designed by the conservation engineer for livestock, but 00:14:21.001 --> 00:14:24.001 now it is the center of the camp and the center of activities. 00:14:27.001 --> 00:14:32.001 Swimming has universal appeal and is an important attraction at this farm camp. 00:14:51.000 --> 00:14:58.000 On Sunday, the campfire circle becomes a place for worship. These services are 00:14:58.000 --> 00:14:59.001 organized by the campers themselves. 00:15:13.000 --> 00:15:16.001 It's autumn. The birds are flying south. 00:15:21.000 --> 00:15:28.000 The abundance of wildlife found on many farms and ranches in the United 00:15:28.000 --> 00:15:31.000 States offers their owners unique opportunities. 00:15:46.000 --> 00:15:51.000 The rancher who opens his lands to hunting or the farmer who builds and rents 00:15:51.000 --> 00:15:55.001 duct lines is providing a service to the city dweller, diversifying his own 00:15:55.001 --> 00:15:59.001 income, and taking out of crop production land not needed 00:15:59.001 --> 00:16:01.001 or suitable for such use. 00:16:02.000 --> 00:16:14.001 [...] farm is a farm dedicated to hunters. 00:16:17.001 --> 00:16:22.000 Here, dogs are taught to point, to recognize the scent of a game. 00:16:34.001 --> 00:16:39.001 Here, too, the hunter can sharpen his skills for those moments of reality. 00:16:50.001 --> 00:16:53.001 Philip Mitchell operates the ranch as a full-time recreation business. 00:16:54.000 --> 00:16:59.001 He knows dogs and guns and understands hunters, but 00:16:59.001 --> 00:17:01.001 he also knows the land. 00:17:02.000 --> 00:17:06.000 His fields, once used for farming, are now planned for wildlife 00:17:06.000 --> 00:17:07.001 for successful hunting. 00:17:08.001 --> 00:17:13.000 Mitchell has used the technical services, cost-sharing and loan programs of the U 00:17:13.000 --> 00:17:16.001 .S. Department of Agriculture and has been able to develop a 00:17:16.001 --> 00:17:18.001 successful recreation enterprise. 00:17:19.000 --> 00:17:24.000 Wearing the red coat of the guide, his dog running in widening circles, Mitchell 00:17:24.000 --> 00:17:28.001 escorts the hunters in the field, a field carefully planned for hunting. 00:17:33.000 --> 00:17:40.000 Now the dog is found to sink. 00:17:40.001 --> 00:17:42.000 The bird is hiding in the grass. 00:17:50.000 --> 00:17:54.001 The strip-planting pattern of sorghum and meadow grass was recommended by 00:17:54.001 --> 00:17:59.001 biologists of the conservation agencies as ideal habitat for game birds. 00:18:00.001 --> 00:18:06.000 There's the point. Beautiful. Look at him go. Will the bird 00:18:06.000 --> 00:18:09.001 flush? There he goes. 00:18:15.001 --> 00:18:20.001 The hunt is over. The hunters return. A successful day. 00:18:24.001 --> 00:18:28.001 It is the night train from the city. 00:18:30.001 --> 00:18:34.000 Winners' fort enthusiasts pour into mountain communities from Vermont to Virginia 00:18:34.000 --> 00:18:37.000 as new recreation facilities rapidly appear. 00:18:40.000 --> 00:18:44.001 The U.S. Department of Agriculture's rural areas development effort is putting 00:18:44.001 --> 00:18:47.001 emphasis on aid to these rural communities. 00:18:48.001 --> 00:18:53.000 One way is to establish recreational activities that stimulate the local economy. 00:18:54.000 --> 00:18:56.001 Snow sports bring many visitors to the mountains. 00:18:58.001 --> 00:19:03.000 People who want to learn to play, who will spend their money to enjoy themselves, 00:19:04.000 --> 00:19:06.001 who want a place to eat, 00:19:10.000 --> 00:19:12.000 and a place to stay. 00:19:16.000 --> 00:19:20.001 Morning comes crisp and clear. Already a few hearty souls are on the slopes. 00:19:24.000 --> 00:19:27.001 Skis are put on in anticipation of the most exhilarating of sports. 00:19:37.001 --> 00:19:42.000 And on up onto the snowy hill they own, gliding easily on the lift. 00:19:45.001 --> 00:19:48.000 Or using the rope toe. 00:20:03.000 --> 00:20:09.000 On these slopes cows graze the sweet grasses of summer. Adjacent orchard lands 00:20:09.000 --> 00:20:11.000 yield the crisp apples of autumn. 00:20:12.001 --> 00:20:16.001 Now on the same land, ski and other winter sports are an important part of 00:20:16.001 --> 00:20:18.001 farm and community income. 00:20:48.000 --> 00:20:52.001 The bargains are not commonly found at commercial ski resorts, but here on this 00:20:52.001 --> 00:20:55.000 farm winter sports include many things. 00:20:57.000 --> 00:21:01.000 There, they lost one. After the fun of snow is falling in 00:21:01.000 --> 00:21:05.001 it. 00:21:13.000 --> 00:21:19.001 Ice skating is one of the most graceful of winter sports. 00:21:21.000 --> 00:21:24.001 This bond the boys and girls are skating on was built to water the cattle and 00:21:24.001 --> 00:21:27.000 irrigate the pasture during dry seasons. 00:21:29.001 --> 00:21:31.001 Winter skating is an added bonus to the farm. 00:21:35.000 --> 00:21:41.001 Ice fishing, 00:21:42.000 --> 00:21:45.000 an age old sport, is new to many people. 00:21:45.001 --> 00:21:51.000 These fishermen are fishing in a lake created by a watershed dam built primarily 00:21:51.000 --> 00:21:53.001 to prevent flooding of the surrounding land. 00:22:06.000 --> 00:22:12.001 Here is a novelty in Iceland. A couple of fans hook to outboard motors and away 00:22:12.001 --> 00:22:14.001 it goes skimming down the lake. 00:22:44.001 --> 00:22:50.000 The graceful sail takes more skill to manage and a bit of wind to keep her going. 00:23:05.001 --> 00:23:15.001 Now to get warmed by the fire and a refreshing drink. 00:23:20.000 --> 00:23:24.001 Colorfully dressed, happy people are bringing new life to many a snow bound 00:23:24.001 --> 00:23:30.000 community. Whether it be with her or summer. 00:23:31.000 --> 00:23:36.000 Rural vacations are always in season. There are many public agencies assisting 00:23:36.000 --> 00:23:41.000 farmers and community groups in developing recreation facilities 00:23:41.000 --> 00:23:42.001 for paying city guests. 00:23:44.000 --> 00:23:50.001 And everyone benefits. Tourist bureaus, members of commerce, travel and camping 00:23:50.001 --> 00:23:55.000 magazines and directories will help locate a country vacation 00:23:55.000 --> 00:23:56.001 spot for the city dweller. 00:23:57.000 --> 00:24:01.000 The landowner who adapts his farm or ranch to recreation is 00:24:01.000 --> 00:24:02.001 helping meet this growing demand. 00:24:03.001 --> 00:24:09.000 He invites you and me to enjoy the real fun of country living on 00:24:09.000 --> 00:24:10.001 a rural holiday. 00:24:12.001 --> 00:24:20.000 Thank you.